Strengthening Families Program

Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society Family Preservation and Reunification presents

Strengthening Families Program 

The Strengthening Families Program is designed to increase family bonding, family strengths, social competencies and to reduce problem behaviours, delinquency, alcohol and drug abuse in children.

Strengthening Families Program: Will be held on Thursdays from 5:00 – 8:00pm.
Spring Session: March 4, 2010 - June 4 ,2010

The Family Preservation and Reunification program will be hosting two Strengthening Families Program
(SFP) for 2009. The Strengthening Families Program is for families with children aged 6-11 years
old. Daycare will be provided for children younger than six years old.

Developed in 1982 by Karol L. Kumpfer, Ph.D. The overall goal of the Strengthening Families Program
is to increase family bonding, family strengths and resilience and to reduce risk factors by improving
family communication, positive parenting skills, school performance and parent and child relationships.
The SFP is one of the most powerful programs for family change because it involves not just the parents or
the children alone, but the whole family. The program is unique among parenting and family programs
because it was developed specifically for children of drug and alcohol abusing parents. Recently, in a
randomized control trial, SFP was found highly effective in reducing conduct problems and improving
family relations in the general population of families recruited in elementary schools (Kumpfer, etc. Al,
2002). The program developers believe that, in order to reduce risk factors in children of substance abusers
(COSA’s), one must improve the family environment and the parent’s abilities to nurture and provide
appropriate learning opportunities for their children.

During the 14 week program parents will learn appropriate developmental expectations, knowledge of
appropriate child rearing and child behavior management principles, alcohol and drug risk and protective
factors and how to foster positive familial relationships.

The children will learn positive pro- social skills such as resistance to peer pressure, improve problem
solving, getting along better with family member and their peers, talking nicely to each other, telling
people how they feel without others getting upset, and problem solving; both at home and in the
community.

The overall goal of the Strengthening Families Program is to increase family bonding, family strengths and
resilience and to reduce risk factors that may otherwise predispose children in high risk families. The SFP
program helps children of substance abuse parents by working with the parents and children to improve
child’s behaviour through positive parent communication and discipline skills.

Each week the families will share a meal together for the first hour. During the second hour the adults and
children will meet in separate rooms to build positive pro-social skills. During the final hour the families
reconvene to work on family support skills and to do fun activities that improve relationships between
parents and their children. We will be incorporating incentives to help families learn and build on their
strengths.

Once you have identified families who you think would benefit from the program, please contact the
Strengthening Families Coordinator at the VACFSS head office. The families will then be contacted and
asked to come in to the Clark Office to complete a pre-screening evaluation/interview.

The pre-screening interviews will commence two weeks prior to the start date on Feb 18, 2010. 

To register or for more information contact:
Strengthening Families Program Coordinator
Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society Head Office
Ph: (604) 872-6723
Fax: (604) 872-5274